454. Government of Incorporated Coptic Orthodox Churches. The bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese in which the place of worship of an incorporated Coptic Orthodox Church is located and his successors in office shall, by virtue of his office, be a trustee of such a church. Two or more persons selected by the bishop from among the priests and deacons of such a church in the manner provided from time to time by rules and regulations of the Coptic Orthodox Church adopted by the Synodical Committee for the Coptic Churches in Immigration shall also be trustees of such incorporated church, and the bishop and other such persons shall together constitute the board of trustees thereof. The bishop and other persons signing the certificate of incorporation shall be the trustees of such a church for the first year or until their successors are selected according to the rules, statutes, regulations and usages of the Coptic Orthodox Church adopted by the Synodical Committee for the Coptic Churches in Immigration. The trustees of every Coptic Orthodox Church shall have the custody and control of all temporalities and property, real and personal, belonging to such a church and of the revenues therefrom and shall administer the same in accordance with the rules, statutes, regulations and usages of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria adopted by Synodical Committee for the Coptic Churches in Immigration, provided, however, that no act or proceeding of the trustees of any such incorporated church shall be valid without the approval of the bishop of said diocese in which the place of worship of such a church is located, or in case of his absence or inability to act, without the approval of the vicar of such diocese.
Last modified: February 3, 2019